Saturday, November 1
Is this Saturday? Perhaps it's Monday. I didn't get much sleep last night, and it's definitely showing this morning. I made a ginger cake not long after I got up this morning. I thought that the mix seemed stodgy as I put it in the oven. After a while I realised I had left out 3/4 cup liquid. I've cooked it and when it cools I will see what it tastes like. Perhaps I can salvage it with some butter on it or something. I also have to make something for lunch tomorrow. I have some mince that has been thawed. Might make meatloaf and then I can serve it hot or cold, depending on the weather.
The church I attend is moving to new premises tomorrow. Lots of advantages in many ways, but it seems to have fallen on me to get a lot of things we need. Dishcloths, teatowels, jugs to fill the urn etc. All little things, but we'll be in a mess without them. We will need more kitchen storage cupboards so I don't want to buy up big until we get them. Still, it will be nice to be the only people there and to know that if I leave something, it should still be there next week. We've been using a school for quite a few years now, and things often vanished from one week to the next.
I thought I was going to eat down the street last night but friend never arrived (or rang, either.) I was a bit peeved to find a message on MSN this morning to say she had gone straight home to bed as she was tired. A phone call wouldn't have hurt. Fortunately I had something I could warm up to eat when I couldn't get through to her.
More bad news about my sister-in-law this morning. She told my brother she was getting better when it is quite plain to absolutely everyone that she is rapidly going downhill. He is going to try to engineer a visit from the doctor. I can see this going two different ways. She might secretly be relieved that things have been taken out of her hands. She is stubbornly refusing to see anyone or take anything for the pain. Won't even speak to her mother let alone my brother. Or she might be highly annoyed at his interference, in which case things won't be much different to what they are now. Just one more thing at the moment.
Just a bit later....
Am feeling just a bit better now. My friend rang to tell me when he would pick me up for the wedding service of a young fellow we've both known many years. I hadn't totally forgotten, in fact I was thinking about him this morning, but I thought the wedding was at the end of the month. Now I have a million things to do before he arrives to pick me up. At least being busy might stop some of the gloomy thoughts I've been having.
Tuesday, November 4
I've been very busy, was hardly at home during the weekend and even when I was, there was stuff to do. My SIL is still not admitting how ill she really is. My brother is finding things very difficult. He rings my sister every morning and she is going to try to talk to Margaret. She's the only one with any hope of getting through to her.
The wedding on Saturday was lovely. I hadn't met the bride who looked beautiful, as of course most brides do. She was short but very slim, perhaps a size 6-8. Her dress and hair were both very simple but suited her perfectly. I'm used to seeing the groom in holey trackpants and ugh boots. He had a morning suit on and looked sensational. Could hardly believe the difference. I wasn't the only one who thought like that either. I could hear comments everywhere about him.
What with SIL and general business and being out a lot, eating hasn't been altogether wonderful. I haven't gained, but stayed the same. I am missing my lunchtime salads, although I had a lot of vegetables at dinner last night with a small amount of meat. A tiny potato, lots of carrot and a mix of homegrown mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus. Very nice it was too.
Am about to ring my mother to see how SIL is this morning. My brother rings there everyday. Then I have to go out again. I think the Christmas rush has started a couple of weeks earlier than usual.
Thursday 6th November
What a life. It's 4:30am here and I've been awake since before 3:00. I woke up and just couldn't go back again. I've generally been sleeping a lot better lately and am cranky about this time up so early. Then again, we've had some really chilly nights and I think that helps the sleep. Last night was quite warm and I woke up very hot to find one of the cats asleep on my feet. He often does that but usually sleeps right at the edge and I'm fine. This time he was across the bottom of the bed. I gave him a poke and he moved, but the damage was done and I was wide awake.
I'm going to mind Miss Three this afternoon. Her parents are going to see the new Matrix movie in the city, starting at 6:00pm. As I have an appointment for Bec to do my hair tomorrow, it was just as easy for me to stay the night there and go with her to work tomorrow. I haven't seen much of her for a while so it will be good to catch up. She is now very much into speaking on the phone. She spoke to my husband for nearly fifteen minutes the other day. I don't think he understood much, but was pleased she spoke. Usually she turns away from him. He can't understand that he doesn't see much of her and so she really doesn't know him.
I seemed to be eating all day yesterday. I didn't really have lunch but snacked all day. When I worked out what I had eaten, it really was the equivalent to a meal and morning and afternoon tea. It was just spread out over a longer period. I don't know why I felt that way. It was a hot day, so it wasn't as if I ate to get warm. I did some gardening and it was beautiful outside. I have tomatoes on the bushes we bought a couple of weeks ago. Nowhere near ready to eat, but a good sign. I might need to rig up something to frighten the birds away as they ripen. Yesterday we had about a hundred rainbow lorrikeets in the bottlebrush tree, squabbling noisily over the flowers.
Think I'll lie on the lounge and try to go back to sleep now. Hopefully the garbage men won't be too early this morning and I might get another hour or so.
Saturday November 8th
It's been quite a productive day here today. We went shopping first thing this morning, something I try to avoid on a Saturday. Husband needed new shoes. Amazingly, he went to the shop I recommended rather than somewhere he thought might be OK. He found what he was after first off. Right style, colour and even better, right size - 12EE. What was even better was that they were reduced by $35.
Then we did the grocery shop and went to Coles. Had to also go upstairs to Woolworths which was a bit of a nuisance to get what Coles was out of. However, I bought some of the mini icecream bars from Weis. A selection of small bars, including the traditional mango flavour. Just a good size. Almost $10 for a box of sixteen. He put three packs in the trolley and a couple of other icecreams as well, but I refused to buy them. So we ended up with just the one pack of minibars. I also found a cellular cotton blanket in the right size and colour for our bed on special. So I bought that too. Lots to put away when we returned home.
On the way back to the car, we met an old friend whom we haven't seen for quite a while. He had "lost" his wife who finally arrived, just as we finished a cup of coffee. It was good to catch up on all his family.
Just for a change I made hot dogs with the low fat frankfurts for lunch. I haven't had anything like this for ages and was looking forward to them. While I enjoyed eating them, I had indigestion all afternoon. It will be a while before I try them again.
In the afternoon, I managed to con husband into digging some ground and putting up a trellis for some climbing beans. Got those planted and some dwarf beans as well. I'm looking forward to fresh tomatoes and beans. Some of the tomatoes we planted a couple of weeks ago already have some fruit on them. I got all the tomatoes and all the plants on the deck watered and fertilised and my new rosemary planted.
Productivity continued... We bought a set of fairy lights in Woolworths for $15. They are outdoor lights and are now installed around our new gazebo. We put them around the frame and there was enough length to go twice around the square inside the roof. They aren't hot so are safe. Transformer was installed under cover and an insect light also found a permanent home.
We installed a new water saver shower head on the shower I use as the other one was leaking and couldn't be fixed. And the last productive thing before I head for bed... Doors on my linen cupboard were broken and leting dust etc in. Cupboard was a disaster area. Doors have finally been fixed, it's only taken two years of asking. I think they were done because I said I would go out and buy a new cupboard and have it delivered. Absolutely everything has come out of the cupboard and it's all been sorted and refolded. I found about a dozen teatowels I had almost forgotten. I even managed to throw out some very old sheets that are just about threadbare. Now I have a tidy cupboard and can see where the different sized sheets etc are. Pillowslips have been paired up. Amazing what threatening to spend some money can do.
So I've been fairly active and eaten reasonably well. Accomplished lots. I can remember writing in third or fourth class, so they went to bed, tired but happy. That's a bit how I feel tonight. I have to seize the moment as my husband is away from home more than he's here and he's usually not willing to do so much around the place.
Nearly forgot another achievement from today. Everyone in our family gives the children presents at Christmas. Adults' names are drawn from a hat so that we each have to put a bit more thought and money into just the one present. I drew my brother this year, my husband has my mother to buy for and MIL got my eldest son. So I'm stuck buying three good things. MIL can't get out. Not that that made any difference even when she was mobile. One year she gave my grandson, who was then not quite one, a family sized block of chocolate for Christmas! I found a really great set for my brother with metal thermos etc. I think he is planning some "bonding" trips with my nephew next year when all this mess with SIL is sorted out. He also has to watch him play Saturday sport at this school, soit will come in handy then. Also found part of my mother's present. So that was a good start.
So here's a smiley from Smiling Faces to finish off what has been a good day.
Wednesday, November 12
I was planning to update yesterday and put something in for Remembrance Day. However, by the time I found the time to do it, I had lost any inclination to do anything other than go to bed at well after 10:00 pm. So here are some red poppies. Last year I posted McCrae's poem about the poppies of Flanders and I had planned to put in the ode For the Fallen this year.
This week is fairly busy and well mapped out for me. Husband will be away for the weekend, so things should be quieter then. I'm preaching at church on Sunday morning and going out for lunch after, I think. My friend is coming over tomorrow so we can plan what to have for food at his birthday party. Peter and Sarah are hosting this on the weekend after next. He leads a very busy life with lots of different activities. This party is for just one aspect of this. Should be good, particularly if the weather is fine.
The last couple of days have been very hot here, into the 30s. Today is cool and grey. I walked most of the way to Burwood yesterday and then around the shops. By the time I wanted to come home, my hips were aching badly, possibly ahead of the change in the weather. I decided I would get a cab but stood waiting for about 15 minutes without one coming past. Eventually the bus came, and I caught that. Went a couple of stops further than normal so I could walk home a bit further, but without the long hill I normally would come up. Not all that steep, but long. This was in the middle of the day and I was so hot and tired when I reached home. Downed three glasses of water in a row.
I made the Annette Sym's Pizza Strudel for dinner. I had very lean bacon instead of ham and used that. It was really nice served with a large salad. Actually, the idea with the filo pastry could be used with almost any filling. I've now used all the filo I had, so will have to get more.
My nephew is beginning to show signs of stress. He came to his father the other day some time after going to bed. He was very upset and took some time to calm down. He wanted his father to promise him that no one in the family would be in hospital at Christmas time. Poor kid. My brother didn't know what to say and just told him that sometimes sick people felt better if they were in hospital with good care. Didn't say the inevitable that sometimes sick people don't come home from hospital. Last year my brother was in hospital just after Christmas with an operation for prostate cancer which fortunately was caught very early. My mother hopes that we can now get past December and into January or February before anything happens so that E.'s birthday and Christmas is not a sad time for the rest of his life. I really don't know how long she can last, but she's very stubborn and persistent.
Better get on with everything I have to do today. Nearly said "with everything that's on my plate for today," but perhaps that's not the best comparison to use.
Saturday, 15th November
Another quick update. It's going to be very hot here today and I need to go to Burwood so will go to arrive as the shops open. I've been pretty busy with a lot of things.
I unexpectedly ate out last night. My mother and sister came down yesterday with some things for me which had been at their place. My sister had found me two winter skirts in the sales and paid $5 instead of $60 for each ot them. She gets lots of stuff like that at Castle Hill. They drove home almost to Dural and she found she didn't have her purse. It was still on my dining room table. So back they came at night and we went down the road to Mario's pizzeria. Mario sells Italian food as well as pizzas and also runs a restaurant in the Rocks. I went down early and minded us a table. It gets pretty full on a Friday night. I chose vitello limone with salad instead of vegetables. The veal was really nice, probaly about 4 points in weight. There were several very thin paper slices which had been pan fried and then a sauce made of lemonjuice and white wine. Salad had no dressing, but I used some of the sauce. It was lovely and all I had to drink was a big bottle of sparkling mineral water, because they had to drive home.
She told me that she thought I had lost weight, so that was nice to hear. Must go and shower etc.
Monday, November 17
Here's a picture of my pretty violas which I planted some time ago. They have not long started to bloom. I've been playing around with my camera. It's silly to have one and not use it. I'm not really one for cameras but bought a small digital Canon quite a while ago. The memory card which came with it was small and I found it discouraging that the best pictures were always there when the card was full. I've finally bought a much bigger memory card and have started to use it. I can see I'll have to investigate an editing programme too so I can easily change sizes.
Son, DIL and I are hosting a birthday party on Sunday lunch for my friend. At least, they are hosting it and I am doing the food. It's mostly easy stuff, still don't know how many are coming. We've planned a BBQ and lots of salad. I'll take the camera to that, so want some prctice. I hope the weather is pleasant. It's really odd here. Today is cold. It's been grey, sunny and wet all in the one day. Yesterday there was an absolute gale and Saturday reached 35 degrees on my back deck in the shade - where I was standing to take the picture. As a present we bought him a Galileo thermometer from the Australian Geographic shop. It has coloured bulbs suspended in a solution and the bulbs give the reading of the temperature. I think he'll like it. He has lots of different gadgets and plenty of the best pens, pocket knives etc. I wouldn't buy CDs because he already has such a big collection. Same goes for books.
My hip has been aching quite badly in the colder weather and my instep is swollen again. I gave in today and took some Celebrex for it. Losing weight would obviously help. I've just read over my entries for last month and seen how enthusiastic I was then. It's not that I'm making lots of bad choices, but more that I don't seem to have the energy or motivation to persist at the moment. There have been several tense times at home and my SIL is a constant source of worry. My brother thinks she is perhaps beginning to come out of the denial she's been in. She gave my young nephew a very big cuddle last night and also asked my brother to just hold her. Nothing was said, but even that is different. My mother speaks to me everyday and I know how worried she is about the whole matter. My sister is supporting my brother in particular, and I'm left with my mother to deal with. She's 83, fairly fit and mentally very bright but the worry is beginning to get to her. She's a born worrier actually. She worries about little things and that makes her happy, but this is a genuine cause for concern.
I think I probably need to go shopping and stock up on all the good healthy lowfat, low points type stuff to have in the cupboard. Then I need to get my head around some more exercise which will help both body and head at the moment.
#3 son rang this afternoon. He wanted a babysitter but we will be on holidays then. So he booked me in for New Year's Eve- nothing like getting in early for free babysitting. I don't like going out on New Year's Eve, so don't mind doing it.
Thursday, November 20
Another hot one here today. This weather is really peculiar. Boiling hot, gales, storms, cold. Storms are forecast for this afternoon. I've possibly wasted my time this morning - I've carted buckets of water and watered all the tomato bushes and a few other plants I don't want to have die. I suppose it was all exercise, carrying ten litres of water and if it rains, then that is a bonus for the plants. Ten litres weighs ten kilos and that's a lot. Somewhat of an incentive to keep going. I ate the first produce this morning from them, two yellow cherry tomatoes. Straight from the bush and they were lovely and a point free snack.
I've been back in the bike riding since Monday. I've eased back into it but feel better for doing it. I've also done some walking. I was going to walk to Ashfield but it's far too hot. Might have to do 2 sessions on the bike today. My friend is having a birthday party at son's on Sunday and I have to buy the variety sausages for it. A new butcher in Ashfield sells a lot of different flavours and I thought I would try some first.
I'll leave you with a picture of my smaller fishpond. I was rather taken by the tiny starry yellow flowers. This is fairly deep and has four (I think,) fish in it. I have a much larger circular pond too. The green thing in the back ground is a trellis for my climbing beans.
I'm really looking forward to fresh beans as well. Most of them have come up in just on a week. Now for some watering to get them established. I have both dwarf and climbing beans planted. Dwarf ones fruit more quickly, but the climbing beans have a longer season. Any not eaten will be frozen for later use. My capsicum plants seem to have succumbed to snails, even with bait down.
I went shopping last night and stocked up on lots more veges. I was right down and completely out of both potatoes and onions. Potatoes woudn't bother me, but I can't be without onions.
Monday, November 24
I didn't realise it was so long since I last updated. Things have been very busy around here and the time is just flying past. Only a month till Christmas and I have lots to do before then.
I had a very full on weekend, both days busy. They could have been bad eating as well with two birthday parties, but I think I coped fairly well. I was also out at a breakfast on Saturday morning. However, I had a few slices of fruit, a very small amount of cereal and two tiny blueberry muffins. Milk was lite white which I don't like, so didn't use much of that. I can cope with skim which is all I have used for years, but don't like the coloured water of lite white.
Birthday party #1 saw a change in plans. It was to have been a surprise picnic in a park, but Saturday was very wet. No one complained because we desperately need the rain. However, a new venue had to be found. It was a surprise for the birthday boy until just a minute or two before he arrived. It was a good party and everyone enjoyed it. Again I ate mostly fruit, watermelon and rockmelon. Healthy and refreshing because the day was humid from the rain.
Yesterday was another party, this time for my friend. We had a BBQ and I did have a couple of skinny sausages, one chicken, the other sundried tomato and herbs and lamb. Lots of salad and then a major indulgence - two small lebanese pastries instead of birthday cake. Over the two days, points were about right. I was fairly busy for a lot of the time as I got most of the food ready. A good recommendation for not eating too much, keep busy. One large glass of wine and some water over the afternoon. There was food leftover. We had planned the menu but my friend did the shopping and bought too many dips and nibbles etc. We left the extras at my son's, so they haven't even made it into my house. I was very proud of myself. Four of my favourite dips, and I didn't taste even one.
The Galileo thermometer which we bought him was much admired by all there. Lots of other interesting things as gifts as well. We had asked people whom he knew from several different areas. It was quite a surprise to find that many of these quickly discovered links which we didn't know about. I actually wished I wasn't quite as busy some of the time. I could hear all sorts of interesting discussions around the place. A couple of Ph.D. students, several with Ph.D.s in various areas. A college principal, a few lecturers, a smattering of his ex-students, all sorts of people. A really good mix and quite unintentional on our part. Interesting people, good food, great music.
I'm looking forward to a fairly quiet day today to recover from the weekend. It's still wet, so I'll have no urge to go out. Somewhere along the business of the last week or two, I seem to have lost a kilo. So that's good.
Saturday, November 29
This will be my last update for November. I'm off for a few days tomorrow to Forster on the mid-north coast and won't be back in here till next weekend. I'm hoping to leave about 6:00 am, so certainly won't be updating here before that time. This has been booked since last February and I'm looking forward to it. Unexpectedly, my mother and sister will be up there for some of the time and I'll probably go walking with her a bit. Perhaps not too much...she walks much more quickly than I am able to with wonky hips and feet. Still, I plan some walks and it looks as if the weather is warming up enough to swim a bit too. I intend to eat sensibly and well. I've planned a couple of lunches at the fish co-op, but that comes with salad and chips. I'm not fond of them, so probably won't be tempted too much by them. It's lovely sitting there right by the water watching the fishermen unloading with the vigilant pelicans waiting for some offerings.
It would be nice to continue to lose, even on holiday. I'm losing small amounts regularly. I'm just being careful in what I eat. I really find that to constantly bear points etc. in mind is obsessive. Occasionally, I check what I've had and I'm careful of serving sizes. I'm sure people without weight problems don't spend all their time thinking about food. I cook low fat almost 100% and use low fat products.
See you in a few days, probably next wekend.
